Monday, September 5, 2016

1st ILGCN/Bears InternationalNordic Rainbow History& Arts Month

(Umeå October 1-2, Stockholm, Vilnius October 29-31, 2016)

Stockolm/Umeå/Vilnius -- The first Nordic Rainbow History & Arts Month will take place in these three Nordic cities in October, 2016 -- with seminars, discussions, films, art, photography, poetry and performances -- inspired by similar months in Budapest, Edinburgh, London and other cities.

"We plan a long-overdue to focus on the history and art of the vast Nordic region -- stretching from the coast of North America in the West and the borders of Russia and Belaus in the East," says Bill Schiller of the main organizers ILGCN (rainbow culture international) Information Secretariat-Stockholm andBears International -- with the support of the Nordic Association (Förening Norden), Tupilak(Nordic rainbow culture workers), Nordic Rainbow Humanists and other organizations.

Another aim is to focus rainbow culture and the history of the battle against the invisibility and discrimation of those with HIV/AIDS, those with different abilities, trans, the youth, elderly, and refugees from Kurdistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, Uganda and elsewhere.

Revitalizing Nordic LGBT Co-operation..?

The event will also include Tupilak's 1st Art Fair, the birth of the 1st Nordic Rainbow Network(reviving the long-ago deceased Nordic Homo Council but this time also including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), stage 2 of the ILGCN World Rainbow Culture Conference 2016 (between stage 1 in Palanga, Lithuania last July and stage 1-2017 in Budapest, Hungary), a Stockholm meeting of the European Rainbow Humanists, a Nordic session of Bears International and a Nordic-supported travelling exhibition on the consequences of prostitution, "Lilies of the Streets."

"As a 0-budget event, we are very dependent on the generosity of rent-free locales in Stockholm offered by PositHIVagruppen, Nordic Association, Sidetrack pub, Secret Garden pub and other organizations. We are also proud to work together with Umeå Pride and with colleagues in Vilnius," adds Schiller, " and the Central Asia Group with Östgruppen for Democracy and Human Rightsworking with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine."